Gamer Levels Up In The Face Of Adversity

Dateline Anytown USA

Despite overwhelming odds, gamer Zach Bishop has managed to complete several levels of his game and advanced to level 68. While the importance of hygiene and sustenance are acknowledged, priorities must be set. Or in the words of Zach “yeah, whatever”. Yes, the threat of unloading the dishwasher proved to be a momentary distraction, but with concentration and perseverance, that too was overlooked. And while room cleaning and laundry loom large another threat could prove to be his downfall, sleep. We understand efforts are underway to thwart this however, with the discovery of a half consumed Rockstar discovered behind the monitor.

Gleefully Evil

I think the thing that made Bellatrix Lastrange (or at least Helena Bonham Carter's portrayal of her) so creepy was just how much fun she had being so bad. She was gleefully evil (gleevil?), and took great pleasure in doing awful things. Speaking of great pleasure, this MOC by vitreolum gives me all the good wizarding world feels. It's a lot of cool techniques and style packed into a tiny package. And great evil has never been more cute before I believe.

Be Cool Honey Bunny...

I realize some of our younger readers might not understand this, and to that I say "someday you will, when you're old enough to watch Pulp Fiction". This was built by Mark van der Maarel for the Kill Brick Contest at Rogue Bricks, which is challenging fans to built MOCs inspired by Quentin Tarantino. I can't wait to see what the builders come up with.

Post Holiday Blues

Yes, Christmas is over. Sure some of the neighbors still have lights on their houses, and there's still presents that have yet to have found a place in the house, but it's over. But just like those couple of things that are always overlooked when you put all the decorations away (happens every year) there's always a few brilliant creations that didn't quite get posted before the unofficial cutoff of the season, New Years Day. But I don't mind sharing this lovely little MOC by _Tiler a few days "late". For one, the lighting is fantastic, and illustrates perfectly the importance of lighting when you photograph your MOC. But there's also some very clever building here, namely the edging on the carpet there. How the heck was that done?

Dreams

I'm a big proponent of "dreaming big" and making your own future happen, so this nifty concept by Mark van der Maarel speaks to me. It's a vignette split into two time periods, made even more intriguing with a dream turned into reality. Don't let anyone squash your dreams, you can do it, just don't give up.

The Ghost Of Anton

As with most ghost stories, this one starts with a tragedy. Anton, the proprietor of the Old Fishing  Store, was the subject of a photo shoot in Polperro Harbor when disaster in the form of high winds struck, and he was lost. To make the story worse, he was on loan. The photographer, BrickNerd's own Nick Sweetman, was entering a contest to win an Old Fishing Store. I suppose if he wins, he'll have to turn right around and give Anton back to his owner, tragic indeed.

Mine Car Escape

Fun fact: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was the first movie I "camped" for. I actually ditched school for it. Of course the bus got me half way to the theater, so I took it. But then I detoured to the theater and sat there all day with a group of strangers, it was fun. While I had mixed feelings on the movie, the Mine Car chase is still one of my favorite scenes, so this MOC by builder BrickBuilder7622 caught my eye. Click through for a whole collection of excellent little vignettes from Temple of Doom and Raiders.

From Tragedy To Triumph

We've all been there, and seemingly more often lately. You go to snap an element in place and *snick* it snaps in two. It's heartbreaking, every element is sacred isn't it? It's especially disheartening when you're down to your last few of a particular color and it happens. Well builder  PigletCiamek has taken this torment and turned it into an asset with a brilliant little vignette that celebrates the fragments.

Mines!

U-boats may have been the scourge of allied forces at sea, but they faces their own perils as well. As they preyed on unsuspecting surface ship, mines, torpedoes and bad navigation posed a continual threat. Builder PigletCiamek imagines a moment of realization that must have been quite the heart stopping moment indeed.

Occlumency

No, Harry doesn't have remedial potions (despite what you've heard). He is being taught the art of occlumency, the blocking of one's own mind from external forces. Professor Snape has reluctantly accepted this task, and so far Harry's not doing so well. I don't think I've ever seen so many diverse bottles and vessels together in such a small space as in this MOC by Vaionaut. Snape certainly keeps his shelves well stocked.

Teeny Tiny Harley

The level of detail in this tiny MOC by Grantmasters is pretty staggering. So much so you almost have to look twice to figure out what you're looking at. The profile bricks are an instant giveaway of the scale, but your brain just can't accept it. Harley has always been a bit irresistible (well, at least for a psychopath) but this version is at squee levels.

Abernathy Farm

The Fallout series and world has always intrigued me. I've often wondered what a world after a large extinction level event would look like and the Fallout series of games offers just such a window into that world. WookieeWarrior (how does he build with such large furry hands?!) has created a very authentic vignette of the Abernathy farm for us to stare at and attempt to find all the little details that go along with a ruined world.

Don't Turn Me Into a Frog, Sir, Please

Out of all the places seen in Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, Bag End is one of my absolute favorites. I've built it multiple times, but never been quite happy with it. This version by Sergeant Chipmunk, though, is fantastic. He has a lot of really nice SNOT work, particularly around the windows, which provides some great detail. The foliage looks very realistic as well. With the nicely rounded base and tidy edges, this build is a very clean and natural chunk out of a much larger scene.

The Journey

As a child I often browsed through the sci-fi section at used book stores just to see the amazing cover art.  There's just something about seeing a bit of sci-fi art completely out of context that stimulates my imagination.  Sometimes I could come up with a story or a single scene to accompany the picture and other times I was just left thinking about what was actually going on in the story.  "The Journey" by SweStar looks like something straight from an obscure sci-fi novella and does not offer a description for why the traveller is approaching a metal-and-icicle tree, and perhaps that is for the best.

A Sinking Feeling

The sinks in this build are just gorgeous. And no, I never would have guessed I'd write that sentence. But it's true: the sinks in the latest installment of 'Rolli's Chamber of Secrets vignette series are very nicely done. It's not easy to get several angled sections like that to join smoothly, but he's pulled it off. Also, the cobblestone technique, though fairly simple, is extremely effective. Combine those with a really clever cauldron design, and it makes for a solid build in a very small space.

The Exorcist

I made the awful mistake of watching The Exorcist when I was about 12 years old, roughly the same age as Regan in the movie. It scared the crap out of me, I was traumatized for days. Then again, I also developed a crush on Linda Blair, so sorta a double edge sword I guess. This little vignette by vitreolum recreates one of the more disturbing scenes, and I'm sorta having flashbacks. Despite the questionable subject matter, there's actually a lot of really cool and subtle techniques being used here, like the wall molding achieved with jumpers, and the paneled door. This is spooky good.

Tis The Season

I was really ready for the holiday season this year. I love listening to the music, spending time with my family, shopping for presents, drinking spiced cider, opening my letters from Cards Against Humanity and generally being jolly. I also truly enjoy all the holiday themed MOCs that pop up. This one from Legonardo Davidy not only spreads some Christmas cheer, but serves double duty as a LUG collaborative build and his latest entry in Iron Builder, pretty nifty.